Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Gardens by the Bay (The latest unmissable tourist attraction in Asia)



“Gardens by the Bay” is one of the largest horticultural attractions in the world. It consists of three distinct waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay. The Gardens are being developed in phases. Bay South was completed and opened to the public on 29 June 2012. The full master plan implementation of Bay East and the development of Bay Central are part of the next phase of development.

Designed by Grant Associates as tree-like structures between 25 metres and 50 metres in height (9 to 16 storeys), the 18 Supertrees are uniquely designed vertical gardens, with emphasis placed on creating a “wow” factor through the vertical display of tropical flowering climbers, epiphytes and ferns. The towering structures, stretching 50 metres into the sky, have giant steel and concrete trunks and thousands of thick wire rods for branches. Fitted with solar panels, hanging gardens and rainwater catches, the trees will be used to display plants from across the globe. At night, these canopies come alive with lighting and projected media produced by Lighting Planners Associates. The Supertrees are embedded with sustainable energy and water technologies integral to the cooling of the Conservatory.

18 giant solar-powered, plant-growing “Supertrees” are only part of the £500 million complex. The 101-hectacre gardens comprise three separate landscapes and include two massive (but energy-efficient) biomes designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects that contain tens of thousands of Mediterranean and tropical plants. Bay South is the largest garden of the three garden at 54 hectares located next to the Marina Bay Sands and aims to showcase the best of tropical horticulture and garden artistry. The overall concept of its master plan draws inspiration from an orchid as it is representative of the tropics and of Singapore, being the country’s national flower. The conservatory complex comprises two cooled conservatories – the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest, situated along the edge of the Marina Reservoir.

Opening Hours: 09:00 AM – 09:00 PM daily
Standard Admission: Adult $28, Senior Citizen $28; Child $15

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